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Definition of coincidence noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

      

    coincidence

     noun
    noun
    NAmE//koʊˈɪnsədəns//
     
     
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  1. 1[countable, uncountable] the fact of two things happening at the same time by chance, in a surprising way a strange/an extraordinary/a remarkable coincidence What a coincidence! I wasn't expecting to see you here. It's not a coincidence that none of the directors are women (= it did not happen by chance). By (sheer) coincidence, I met the person we'd been discussing the next day. Thesaurusluck
    • chance
    • coincidence
    • accident
    • fate
    • destiny
    These are all words for things that happen or the force that causes them to happen.
    • luck the force that causes good or bad things to happen to people:This ring has always brought me good luck.
    • chance the way that some things happen without any cause that you can see or understand:The results could simply be due to chance.
    • coincidence the fact of two things happening at the same time by chance, in a surprising way:They met through a series of strange coincidences.
    • accident something that happens unexpectedly and is not planned in advance:I discovered the book by accident while shopping for a birthday present.
    • fate the power that is believed to control everything that happens and that cannot be stopped or changed:Fate decreed that she would not get married that day.
    • destiny the power that is believed to control events:I believe there's some force guiding us—call it God, destiny, or fate.
    fate or destiny?
    • Fate can be kind, but this is an unexpected gift; just as often, fate is cruel and makes people feel helpless. Destiny is more likely to give people a sense of power: people who have a strong sense of destiny usually believe that they are meant to be great or do great things.
    Patterns
    • by …luck/chance/coincidence/accident
    • It's no coincidence/accident >that…>
    • pure/sheer luck/chance/coincidence/accident
    • to believe in luck/coincidences/fate/destiny
  2. 2[singular] (formal) the fact of things being present at the same time the coincidence of inflation and unemployment
  3. 3[singular] (formal) the fact of two or more opinions, etc. being the same a coincidence of interests between the two partners
See coincidence in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary